The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-28
JUDGE souooNNIAKEn,s DENIAL,
The Commission Not Rendy to Rosclnd SUE.
.E u pension Of Section -Four, r

. %
WASHINGTON, May 27,-Mr. sehcon
maker, Of the Interstate Commission, sal,
to-day that there was no authority what
ever for the reports circulating In tbi
West that the application OF the Southern
railroads for the suspension OF the Ion,
and short haul clause were to be denied
mo member Of tho Commission, sale
be, "has made any statement from which
that could be inferred, and no point has
been reached In our discussions where
such decision could be indicated. In
spite Of reports to the contrary, the Com.
inission is still hearing testimony In the
cases, and will not begin TO formulate a
response until It is Rll in. Whether the
Suspensions will be permanent or rescin.
ded l could not say, because the Commis.
sioDers themselves do not know what
course will be TAKEN" Y,
"Ie there any possibility tha. the deci.
sion will be withheld until the time for
the temporary suspension expires7"
THAT may be, though l think tho mat.
ter will not be delayed that long. 1t Is
certain, however, that no decision will be
reached before come time Ia June.n
The particular report against which the
denial WAS directed was tho Cincinnati
EEqiiir's double.leaded announcement
that the commission would during the
present week Gend out special notices to
the lines In interest that the order grant
Ing the temporary suspension OF the long
and short haul clause Ia rescInded and
that section four Of the Interstate Com.
merce law will be enforced in tho territory
south OF the Ohio md the Potomac rivofs
and east OF the Mississippi river. What
ever tho continuation may do in iuture
weeks they will send out no
such general notices. The ap-
plicatlons Of the various roads,
Southern as we'll as Northern, have been
died in the order in which they were re-
eeived, and the orders will be made In
the separate cases ono alter the other as
they occur in the list. The reasons ior
each will be specified when the conditions
are different, and suspensions will bO
made for several roads together ouly
where substantially the same causes are
found to prevail. The commission object
decidedly to the opinion that either the
to any particular portion Of the conntry,
and wish it understood that the hearing Is
for each applicant and Its surroundings
only. Their last letter, which hRs been
generally taken to mean that they were
not going to grant permanent suspeuaions,
Has written IN order to make this point
clear and they are not very well pleased
that it has resulted IN another inference
altogether. '.-5
The final decision under the circum-
stances can not be indicated, but it can be
said safely thai the strong disposition 10
relieve sume Of the Southern roads and
cities still rerlains. The commission,
however, wasn't to make neither general
Southern suspension nor any partial sus.
pension winch would amount to discrirn-
tnesion, aRd the problem ia troubling
them. They bad almost their tirsl'cn-
couragement towards complete enforce.
ment ot the law from the statements John
Scott and other Pennsylvania Railroad
representatives. lew days ago, but while
they found the road and many business
men along it satisfied without suspension,
they did not find thst the peopIe gener.
ally were getting the benefit Of lower or
better rates than in the old times Of dis.
crlminsuon. 1t is among the possibilities
that another temporary suspension may
be ordered in certain cases until Congress
can NEST and take gc!ion, but the Implied
dlrcredit OF the law from such proceeding
would be 60 maniieet that 1t has not vet
been discussed.